My first diary entry so I’ll keep it simple.
It’s 6am and we’re waiting to go to our gate π΄π΄ We’re really looking forward to all this, but there’s every chance this will be the shortest travel blog ever, as I keep getting it wrong. It took about 10 goes to get all the deets sorted and twice as long to upload the photo. Hmmm π€
It feels like it’ll be 5th June forever. We left Maidenhead at 4.45 am on 5th June, and we’ve been on a 13 hour journey, arrived in LA and checked into our hotel and it’s still only something like 6.15pm. Will the day never end? Or will we wake up tomorrow and find it’s still 5th June?
The flight went very well actually, we were pretty spoilt: plenty of good food and drink, very comfortable seats and lots of legroom. We left the plane feeling that all was well with the world, but stepping into LA airport soon put paid to that. First there was the queue for the electronic passport gate. This was very busy and of course we got flustered π« The machine took our photos, which were printed out and we had to put these in our passports. I’ve got to say that they were easily the worst photos of the two of us that I’ve ever seen in my life - so bad in fact that I got an uncontrollable fit of giggles and Mike had to tell me off because people were looking. Honestly, they were that bad, I wouldn’t have let us in the country if I didn’t know it was us. But, as Mike pointed out, at least we weren’t having to queue like that lot in that mile long queue over there - except that we were, as that was the next step after the digital machine disaster. Mike was not a happy bunny. The line moved at snail’s pace. Nightmare! We finally got through and the immigration guy turned out to be nice -most unusual! Even he had a laugh over the photos but said he had to keep them anyway, and our secret was safe with him. We retrieved our bags and got the shuttle to the hotel. We’re here for 2 nights and we’re looking for serviceable rather than glamour, and that’s just what we got. They’re very nice here though. I’ll put up a photo of the view from our room don’t be jealous π We’ll have a little look at LA tomorrow, if we can stay awake. Hasta luego π
As time is short here, we decided to do a bus tour of LA to catch a glimpse of the main sites and avoid having to drive at the same time. I would say it was just enough. Los Angeles is spread over a large area but a lot of it seems a bit same-y. Venice Beach was not a lot different to other seaside resorts in the UK; the sea and sands are lovely but it’s a bit tatty. Hollywood Boulevard was mobbed but it all seemed somehow rather empty. Although LA is awash with money there doesn’t seem to be any depth to the place, it’s all a bit shallow. There’s also plenty of poverty about. Our tour guide told us that the homeless numbers are massive, which is a sad reflection on this society. The best part of our tour came at the very end, when we visited what was the original settlement of Los Angeles. There is still the old church and the town hall, and a ranchhouse, fully furnished in period, that was free to visit. It's by far the nicest part of the city in my opinion and I'm sorry we didn't get more time there. I’m glad to say I’ve seen it all here now, but once is enough for me in this place and I won't be hurrying back.
Yesterday was all about getting the hire car sorted and driving from LA to Vegas (well, Mike driving and me passengering. Don’t knock it, it’s hard work sitting there π) Mike made a great job of the first journey as it’s nerve-wracking to say the least dealing with the traffic in LA. I made a superb passenger though π. Las Vegas is everything they say it is, and probably more; it’s hyperbling on speed. I came here prepared to be a bit snooty over it but our hotel, The Bellagio, is gorgeous, and I’ve enjoyed myself so much so far it’s made me think that I’m more than a bit shallow myself, but what the heck! The one think Las Vegas has over LA is that it’s honest about wanting your money, and it doesn’t try to sell you a dream that doesn’t exist. In both cities everyone is trying to hustle money from you, but Vegas is upfront about it. Also everyone seems to be having a good time, which is also nice to see. We’re going to have a go at the tables tonight so I’ll report on that next blog...... if we’ve got any money left, haha!
We enjoyed our time doing absolutely nothing at the Bellagio so much that we even kicked our planned day out to the Grand Canyon into touch, and splurged the money for that on a French meal at the Picasso restaurant in the hotel instead. As Craig Revel Horwood would say - Fab-u-lous , dahling. We had a little go at the tables, laughably little, we must have blown at least $60 at the blackjack table (it was all over in four goes) and then at least $20 on the one arm bandits. Last of the great spenders or what? Trouble was, they were too technical for us and we didn’t know how to work them, so we just kept pressing the button till the money was all gone. Mike had to bet with the cornflakes after that. It was with great reluctance that we checked out of the Beautiful Bellagio this morning and headed north to Cedar City, Utah. We crossed a little bit of the north-west corner of Arizona en route. It was all very desert-like for a fair bit of the way, but got a lot greeener as we approached Cedar City. I drove for the first time today - I did the second half of the journey. I thought I had done ok but Mike’s hair has gone a bit whiter and he’s got a bit less of it. Can’t think why. We got a shock when we got here -M Star motel that we’d booked into was completely deserted and a total dump. There was a note stuck on the window with a phone number to call for reception. π€ We decided maybe this wasn’t for us and booked into a Comfort Inn up the road, which isn’t exactly luxurious but is a lot better than the other place. This evening we ate out at a diner and for the first time we were among locals, which was great. We’re only passing through here but before we head to Salt Lake City tomorrow morning we’ll pop into the Frontier Homestead State Park, that’s on the edge of town, to get an idea of what it was like here in the early days.
This was a special place, totally unexpected but a real find.
The Frontier Homestead is a collection, or museum, if you like, of all sorts of artefacts from the days of the early settlers. The only visitors when we were there was one other family, I hope the Homestead gets better patronised at weekends and during the high summer season as it's well worth a visit.
We were able to get into a (reproduction) stagecoach. I have to say I don't think it would have been very comfortable: poor suspension and cramped seating would discourage me from ever wanting to go on a long journey in one of those. Outside in the courtyard we got to see the cabins, how they were constructed and what they were used for. I can only admire the hardiness of the early settlers, having got up close and personal with the equipment they had to work with and realising the slog they had to put in just to survive. We also saw an example how the Native Americans lived before the arrival of Europeans; it was astonishing that they survived at all during those harsh winters. I also admire that the settlers prized education, and ensured that there was a school and a paid teacher for their children. I enjoyed getting behind the desk in the schoolhouse; does a retired teacher ever really leave teaching behind?
Another bonus was getting to chat with the couple who were manning the desk at the entrance. It was good to exchange ideas, and we found out they were fascinated by our royalty - they'd made sure to watch the marriage of Harry and Meghan on television, and were very proud that the Duchess of Sussex is American.
After our initial disappointment with the original accommodation we had booked, we decidd that Cedar City is rather a nice place after all, and we were glad we'd stopped by.
The drive to Salt Lake City was long and we had a couple of stops along the way. We pulled into SLC at 7pm, and took one look at our accommodation and realised we’d made a mistake, but it was too late and we were too tired to go anywhere else. Ok, so it was called Econolodge, so we weren’t expecting luxury, but the room wasn’t ready, the door stuck, the loo seat was in bad repair and there was a crack in the washbasin. The immediate area surrounding the motel was full of the dregs of society which was more than a bit unsettling. The next morning there was a power cut. Apart from that it was alright π€¨
This made us want to leave SLC asap, which we did, without visiting the city centre, but I’m not exactly heartbroken about that. About 20 miles north lies Ogden, where we chanced to find Hill Military Air Museum. As Mike loves all things to do with planes, we spent a good couple of hours looking round. This cheered him up no end and he was thrilled to see certain craft up close and personal. I have the same problem with planes as I do with cars - they all look very similar to me πΆ
After we left Ogden Mike drove all the way north through the rest of Utah and here to Ashton Idaho. That was some stretch. The countryside has changed. Mountains are ever present in the distance but it’s a lot greener here. Yellowstone Park is on the agenda tomorrow- very exciting.
Ashton was a great springboard to visiting Yellowstone, although we delayed our trip by a day to visit Upper Mesa Falls in Targhee Forest, which is just down the road from Ashton; it was so beautiful it was worth spending time there. I’ve no idea why sense flies out the window when I go abroad sometimes, but I did something I wouldn’t dream of doing at home - went for a long walk down wooded paths wearing only shorts and a t-shirt. Mike did the same. Needless to say we got bitten mercilessly and spent most of the next 24 hours scratching furiously. Our arms and legs were not a pretty sight π
We headed in to Yellowstone via the west entrance, and for a long time it was lots and lots of pine trees - all very nice but not wildly interesting. Our first port of call was Old Faithful. It’s so reliable they can virtually predict every eruption, and there is extensive seating for the numerous crowds that turn up to see it. Unfortunately I was seated behind what is now accepted as a traditionally built American lady, so my view was completely blocked. I was able to manoeuvre myself sideways a bit so got to see it after all. After that we headed to our accommodation in the Park, Roosevelt Lodge. There was a main hall with a restaurant in the complex where we checked in before heading to our log cabin. This was a very simple structure with shared sanitary facilities - no water whatsoever in the cabins and cooking is strictly forbidden at all times. The reason is the smell of food attracts the bears. I was quite happy to comply with that. It would have been nice to see a bear, but maybe not quite so up close and personal π² We we’re lucky enough to have a cabin by a stream, and a bison wandered down to eat the grass on the opposite bank. It seemed calm enough, but I was glad there was a stretch of water between us. π The night passed peacefully enough. It was actually a nice change to be in complete silence - no telly, radio or IT. Having said that I don’t know how long I could live without all that.
This morning we drove over to where we could get the best sighting of the animals. We saw loads of bison - got a bit blase about them in the end, and some deer; no bears though. The scenery in the northern part of the park is absolutely stunning though, and I by far preferred this part of the trip.
We left the Park late morning and came into Montana - what a beautiful state this is - well, what I’ve seen of it is. We’re spending the night in Big Timber, a small town, despite it’s name, and again everyone is very friendly. Most people we’ve spoken to have trouble distinguishing our accent from an Australian one. “Are you from Australia?” I feel like saying G’day, Blue, when they say that. However we smile politely, and tell them of course not, we’re from New Zealand π No, we don’t really, we stick with London as that’s just about all they can identify with as far as the other side of the Pond is concerned. We’re off to Hardin tomorrow, to visit the site of the Battle of Little Big Horn. I wonder what that will turn out to be like.
Before leaving Big Timber we had discovered a soda fountain in the town drugstore that’s been there since the 30s. It was great, and of course we had to sample the wares. Naughty but absolutely delicious π Again our accents confused folk. I was asked at one point, “Are you foreign?” I almost replied, “No, I’m British,” and only just stopped myself in time.
The drive to Hardin went well enough, except that it rained rather hard and this would have spoiled the planned visit to Little Big Horn. We got there mid-afternoon, and miracle of miracles, the sun came out. The visit to the battlefield was really interesting. I thought I had a bit of an idea of what it was all about but soon found out how wrong I was. In the museum you can see a short film which is very informative and tells the tale from both sides. I’m afraid the US government does not emerge in a shining light. However not all the Native Americans got on with each other, and the Crow scouted for the White Man because they feared the other tribes. It’s never straightforward. After the museum we toured the battlefield. It covers a lot of ground so you travel in the car but get out at certain spots and walk around. At the end of the tour I saw a sign which I’d missed going in, saying stick to the path because of rattlesnakes. I nearly had a heart attack when I read that. π±
We left Hardin this morning for Cheyenne; it was a long trek of over 400 miles, and the weather was either overcast or it was raining for the whole journey. The countryside is all very green and beautiful, but the lack of trees is a bit surprising. We’re staying at the Historic Plains Hotel in Cheyenne, built in 1911, full of character and still with a lot of it’s original features- including the plumbing in our room, I think π
We drove out of town for dinner to Terry Bison Ranch and ate delicious sirloins. We stuck with the beef as we’d tried bison in the Yellowstone Park restaurant and we weren’t too keen on it. We’re now back at the hotel and a bit tired π€
It’s been a long day today.
We left Cheyenne yesterday and travelled to North Platte, leaving Wyoming and entering Nebraska and a new time zone. This threw us a bit as we had forgotten about losing an hour, so we arrived at our destination later than we thought. North Platte was a bit underwhelming and our accommodation even more so. There are two things of interest near the town though - the Union Pacific Railyard, which is the biggest in the world (what???) and Buffalo Bill Cody’s ranch. Apparently he used the ranch as a base and the rail yard as a springboard to take his show round the country. We only had time to see one, and chose the rail yard as it’s still functioning and Bill Cody was only showbiz anyway. I’m not a fan of trains but this railyard is something else. It’s all freight, and great long trains carrying all sorts of cargo, but especially coal, were trundling past. We asked a volunteer at the visitor centre how many trucks could be pulled, he said they did try 250 once but there were no sidings long enough; however on average an engine pulls between 105-135 trucks. Wow!
From North Platte was the 425 mile journey to Altoona, Iowa. We’re just using this as a stopover on our way to Chicago, where we should arrive tomorrow. Windy City, here we come!
We didn’t hang round in Altoona as we wanted to get to Chicago ASAP. The roads were pretty much OK through Iowa, a few road works, but bearable. The countryside reminded us a bit of England, very green and pleasant. Illinois doesn’t look that much different, but there was shocker waiting for us. The traffic was absolutely awful. The I-80 segues into the I-88 to get into Chicago, and it’s a toll road. I’ve no quarrel with that, you pay your money and get to your destination faster on a better road; but wait, no, you pay your money and travel in single file traffic at snails pace through roadworks instead. I don’t see how they can charge money for a service they’re not providing. What should have been a 4/5 hour journey ended up taking 7 hours. Mike was a complete saint, π, he did all the driving and never lost his rag. I would have been terrified trying to negotiate that traffic but it didn’t faze Mike at all. He did all the driving today. The poor bloke is stuck between a rock and a hard place - do the driving or be scared out of his wits when I drive π€£
We finally got into Chicago at just gone 7. The roads were busy but I have to say it was nice to be in town again. We’re staying at the Knickerbocker for 3 nights. Apparently it was once owned by Al Capone, and I’m hoping to find out more about its shady past.
We went out for dinner to Gibson’s tonight and it was really a choice of steak or steak. They has amazing meat on offer, huge cuts, but we could only manage a 16oz sirloin between us. Big cultural difference though, we were eating the least in the restaurant, but were the only Ones drinking a bottled wine of wine, a nice Malbec since you ask.
It’s been a long day but we’re looking forward to exploring the city tomorrow.
Yesterday it rained non-stop, so we stayed in the hotel most of the day. This was no bad thing as we were both seriously in need of some r n r after several days on the road. This morning the rain had stopped, but it was still overcast, so we couldn’t go up any high towers for any views as the clouds were low. Since our hotel is close to the lakeside we took a stroll along there towards the Navy Pier. There’s a small beach there and a young lad asked us to take his photo. He was very happy to be there, he told us, it was his first day in the US, he’d come from Afghanistan. I got ready to take his pic, but then had to wait while he changed his t-shirt and put on dark glasses, even though the sky was grey. Ah well, whatever, he was pleased with it all. π€
We walked on and got on a trolley bus which took us round part of Downtown. This was good because a) we got to see a bit more in comfort and b) it was free π After that we took a stroll down Navy Pier, very well set out and better than Pier 39 in San Francisco in our opinion.
I’ve got to say though that the highlight of our stay here has been the Knickerbocker itself. The Concierge gave us a tour round the hotel. The Grand Ballroom is magnificent, and very popular for weddings. It was also good to get a look at the secret passageway that the mobsters and gamblers used to run down when the police were on their way up in the elevator.
It’s been a good stay, but it’ll be good to be back on our travels tomorrow, when we’ll be heading south.
With Chicago and the rain behind us, we journeyed out of Illinois and south into Indiana. Our destination was Charlestown, situated a few miles from the Kentucky state line. Again Mike did all the driving. At one point we noticed the time and couldn’t believe we’d been on the road for five hours, even though we’d had a couple of rest breaks. It finally dawned on us that Indiana is on Eastern time, so we had lost an hour. D-oh!
Indiana is a good state to look at, very green. At one point though we went through an area that had a large population of wind turbines, loads and loads of them. More than I’ve seen off the Thanet coast even. Not a very pretty sight I have to say, and I’d love to know how much power they generate. On we continued to Charlestown. When we came off the interstate we drove through country roads to get to the property. It was a picturesque drive, past many large houses. This prepared us nicely for our final destination, Governor’s Mansion in Charlestown. The property looked as it had in the photos, vintage and beautiful. We were prepared for a little shabby chic gracious living in a house full of antiques. Well the antiques were there, unfortunately nobody else from the establishment was; just another couple who were as confused as we were. The room we had booked was already taken (there are only 5 rooms) and so was the other couple’s. The part time handyman turned up and told us this. We were supposed to help ourselves to keys and sort ourselves out according to him. We were not best pleased but went and took a room without ensuite just to have somewhere to sleep, as it was getting late. After we’d settled for the night, we heard footsteps in the corridor just before midnight. Bearing in mind it’s an older property, all sorts of thoughts started racing through my mind, not necessarily the most logical. I nearly jumped out my skin when there was a knock at our door, and a voice calling out. We then heard voices at the other end of the corridor. Mike went to investigate. It turns out that our room had been let to yet another couple on air bnb. They were late arriving as they’d been held up in a traffic accident. None of us had any idea what the proprietor was playing at - apparently she was in Florida. Fortunately the last couple were quite young and more equitable about the situation, and managed to sort out something else. But the house just did not seem secure, and I spent what seemed the rest of the night with the covers pulled up over my nose and with saucer eyes peeping over the top of the sheet.
This morning I had a serious (email) conversation with Hotels.com and the upshot was our money was reimbursed.
After that little adventure we left for Nashville, driving through Kentucky. What a pretty state that is. We booked into our hotel, and our room has a mural on the wall that’s so bad it’s almost good- but not quite. We took a stroll over to the Grand Ole Opry to have a look. Unfortunately there are no concerts on while we are here. Oh, wot a shame! And me such a country and western fan too. π€₯ It was good to see it though. We’ll get a better look round Nashville itself tomorrow. We’re all over the place timewise as Nashville is on Central time, so we’ve gained an hour again! πΆ
Not a lot to report today. We went into Nashville and visited the Hall of Fame. It was very interesting and despite not being huge country fans we spent a good couple of hours there looking round. It’s set out on three levels, although the ground floor is reception and shops. We started on the top level, and this was the most engaging to me as it dealt with the roots of country music and there were some special sights, including Elvis’s gold Cadillac and some eye-popping outfits. My favourite exhibit of all was Carl Perkin’s blue suede shoes. I couldn’t believe they actually exist. I didn’t take many photos, no point as most of this stuff can be seen online anyway, but those shoes impressed me. I did take a photo of them, but the site is playing up today and I can’t upload it. The floor below was about the 70s onward. It’s strange to see times of your own life considered as eras of history. This floor drew me less than the floor above.
Nashville is a nice city, modern but with a really nice vibe; it's the sort of place you feel comfortable wlking round in. I love the look of the Batman Building. I don't know its proper title, but it's in the background of the photo of the two of us on the riverboat ( in tomorrow's blog) and it's easy to see how it acquired its nickname. That was the sum total of our adventures today - but we’ve got a full schedule tomorrow, more of which later.
Today was very special for me as I finally got to go for a ride along the Cumberland river on a paddle steamer, something I’ve always wanted to do. The General Gordon looked just like the vessel in the musical “Showboat”. The old-time gamblers and their elegant ladies are long gone, but it’d be nice to think their spirits still grace the saloons. We got a meal and a show as part of our deal, and Lady Luck was smiling on us as we got the best seats in the Victorian Theatre - centre balcony at the front. We enjoyed our buffet food while the performers put on a great show. Then we had another 90 minutes to enjoy the rest of the ride and take in the beautiful scenery. Fantastic!
The day was hot but just as we left the boat the heavens opened. Mike drove in the pouring rain as we were now heading for the inspiration for the title of this blog - Memphis! I don’t know how he did it as conditions were awful for quite some time. Suddenly the rain just stopped and it was boiling hot again. I was so excited to be going to Memphis, the epitome of cool, and Graceland, but once again I was due for a bit of an upset - I never learn π
When we arrived at our motel we had misgivings: it looked scruffy ( echoes of Econolodge) and the other clientele were unprepossessing, to say the least. Not at all cool. Our room had a locked adjoining door, and we could hear loud male voices, which made us nervous. Then at about 11pm, there was knocking on our door, and a female voice claiming to be from reception said she wanted to check on a possible flood from upstairs coming into our bathroom. We opened the door and she marched in, and it was blatantly obvious she wasn’t from reception at all, as she moved all round the room very quickly and looked closely at what we had lying around. I don’t know if she had plans on lifting something herself or telling someone else who might want to break in later. We got rid of her ( I had to use a bit of my Ramsgate voice, that seemed to help) and didn’t hang around- we packed up straight away and drove to the Holiday Inn down the road, where fortunately there was still a room free, π so we’re staying here for 2 nights instead.
Ah well, Graceland tomorrow- that’s got to be a bit of a treat all the same.
After the previous night’s hooha, we were determined to make sure we made the most of today, as our remaining time in Memphis was short. We made a decision to concentrate just on visiting Graceland, rather than try to cram in that and downtown as well. Graceland is in walking distance from the hotel we removed to, so we set off down the road. It took about 15-20 minutes, and, despite the heat, we were glad to get a bit of exercise after being cooped up in the car so much.
I think that when Elvis bought Graceland it was surrounded by green country. Graceland itself is set in plenty of acres, but Elvis Presley Boulevard, which runs right alongside it, is really not the most attractive of roads and it looks a bit rundown here and there.
The estate itself is something else. There’s some very slick marketing going on here, but the powers that be have gone out of their way to make it a special experience for visitors. We chose the basic visit, but still got to see plenty. There’s a short introductory film before the visit starts, then visitors are bussed to the house itself and get to walk a set route around the house. It was good to see that it was still so personal, easy to think that Elvis has just got up and walked out of the room. The house is very special by 60s/70s standards, Elvis never let good taste spoil his choice. But... it’s a time capsule at the end of the day, and I think the house is different from what’s considered lavish these days. What is outstanding though is that it’s still possible to see that this was once very much a family home, where Elvis must have felt safe and secure. It was sad to see the graves of the family - Elvis, his parents and his grandmother, Minnie Mae. That lady must have seen so much heartbreak- she saw her daughter-in-law, grandson and son die before her. That’s a lot to take.
After the house we were driven back to the main complex where we saw various exhibits- there are so many to choose from. We enjoyed seeing Elvis’s cars and his costumes most. We ate in “Gladys’s diner”. Of course we had to choose the peanut butter and banana sandwich, fried in bacon fat (what else?) which Elvis loved his mum to make for him. It tasted good, right enough, but it was a heart attack on a plate and once was enough.
Later we had a look round the Jetstar, Lisa Marie, which Mike especially liked.
It was good to go to Graceland to see something personal of the man who did so much to change the face of popular music. I don’t think today’s younger ones quite realise what a revolutionary he was. He had that rare combination- musical talent, a terrific voice and great looks. He was also a very generous man, which is not so well known. It’s a tragedy he died at such a young age - he didn’t deserve that. Elvis RIP.
After Memphis, Port Gibson came as a complete change. We pulled into a quiet little town that had so many churches I lost count. Isabella Guest House is situated on a wide, tree lined avenue. It’s an elegant old building that echoes the gracious living of former times. Our hosts were Bobbye and Phil, and they did everything to make us welcome. The interior of the house has been furnished to remain in keeping with the past, but this is Bobbye and Phil’s home too, so there’s a lovely cosy atmosphere about the place.
On Bobbye’s advice we drove up the road to eat at Rosie’s Cafe, which was very basic but served fresh cooked traditional local food. I got to try what I’ve always wanted to try: catfish and fried green tomatoes. Delicious π Trouble is, all the food in the south seems to be fried, and I can almost feel the pounds piling on my hips π
After eating we took a stroll around town. Port Gibson is very quaint and has quite a history, there was a fair bit of Civil War action took place here, and the town is part of an historic trail. There are many interesting buildings that have seen better days, but that adds to their charm. We got to enjoy the rest of the evening swinging on the veranda of the guest house, drinking a glass of wine ( beer, in Mike’s case) and having a pleasant chat with Bobbye. It was a far cry from the hurlyburly of Memphis, and a lovely way to finish the day.
Bobbye, our hostess at Isabella, fixed us a hearty breakfast before we went on our way. We decided to drive a few miles down a country road to get a glimpse of the Windsor Ruins on our way to New Orleans. Once in the 1800s, a great house stood on this spot, but it was destroyed by fire, and the remaining pillars are the only testament to its existence. It’s quite eerie to see them standing so tall in the middle of nowhere, and they too are crumbling away with time. You can’t stop Mother Nature reclaiming her own.
The drive to New Orleans went fairly well (I say that, but of course it was Mike driving and he did brilliantly) but getting around the city itself was a bit of a nightmare. Fortunately our hotel had its own car park in the basement so we could leave the car there and forget it for a couple of days.
New Orleans itself is amazing. It’s also been on my bucket list for a while, and I was so pleased to have finally got there and find it lived up to my expectations. The Royal Sonesta is right in the middle of Bourbon Street- we couldn’t have got closer to the action if we’d tried. The place was continuously mobbed, but the atmosphere was great; everyone was friendly and all anyone wanted to do was enjoy themselves and have a good time. The food is also good: we got to try gumbo, jambalaya, even alligator (Mike wasn’t so sure about that) and I was treated to a dozen oysters. Yum!
It’s a given that if you’re going to visit New Orleans you have to get a ride on a streetcar. These are amazing pieces of living history; the one we took to Charles Street dates from the 1920s. At $3 each for an all day ticket they are great value. Charles Street is old school elegant and if I lived in New Orleans and had the money, that’s where I would choose to be.
This was our last visit to a main city before heading for our long stay in Orlando. Just three nights ahead of us on the road and we’ll be in the Land of the Theme Parks.
New Orleans is fairly quiet on a Sunday morning, thank goodness, so it was quite easy to navigate our way out of it. We were now heading for our final major stop, Orlando, but we’re stopping for three nights on the way.
Our first overnight was Fairhope, Alabama. Unfortunately it tipped down with rain virtually the whole time we were there, so we didn’t get a proper look at it. Best thing was that we were able to purchase a nice secondhand suitcase for $5.99 from a thrift shop that was close by, as we need another case for bits and bobs we’ve collected along the way.
Next night we were in Wakulla, Crawfordville, Florida . Again, not a lot to report from there, but we did have a delicious fish dinner in a restaurant on a pier. I had a whole grilled yellow snapper and Mike had mahimahi. We both really enjoyed that.
Last night before Orlando was in a suburb of Lake City. Again, nothing too special. There was a boot outlet across the road- but they’re everywhere in the States and most of the boots are made in China-if not China, Mexico, so they’re hardly authentic.
We’ve noticed a big change in scenery though. The vegetation we’ve passed in Florida is very lush and tropical, but there are also wide open swampy areas. Definitely another land.
I’ve not added to the blog for the 9 nights we’ve been in Orlando as we’ve been doing standard tourist stuff all the while we’ve been here; so I thought I’d write about our stay in one go.
The first thing that surprised me was that 4th July wasn’t quite the big deal I was expecting it to be. Most businesses remained open and there didn’t seem to be many special events going on. Mind you this is Orlando and each theme park has its own fireworks display every night, so I suppose it’s all a bit old hat round here. Our own hotel room, delegated to us by the lovely receptionist, Ashawnie, looks straight over to SeaWorld, so we get to see a stunning fireworks display for free each night. πππ
Our first couple of days here we took it really easy, for Mike to get over the driving and me to get over the passengering - it’s a dirty job, but somebody’s got to do it after all. Then we did the real Orlando thing and had days out.
SeaWorld was our first visit. We had a great time there. Mike was able to relive his moment of 30 years ago with another ride on Atlantis, and he got the photo to prove it. I went on a couple of the gentler rides, and they were fun too. There are 3 fearsome looking rollercoasters but I avoidedthose like the plague. I also enjoyed the dolphin shows. At first I though the shows might be cruel, but each animal has their own personal attendant. The oldest dolphin in the show is now 40. In the wild they’re lucky to make 25. SeaWorld has a serious programme of protection and conservation and it was good to find out all about this.
The second visit was to Kennedy Space Centre. Amazing! Not being into science and technology very much I wasn’t particularly excited about this trip. How wrong could I be? The Centre itself is so well set out and is completely engrossing. What engaged me further is that the Centre sees itself as a small part of a much larger nature reserve and coexists quite happily with the original inhabitants: alligators, birds, snakes(ok, I’m not so delighted out those last, but even I can accept that it is their right to thrive there) etc and does everything to protect them. We actually saw a massive alligator swimming in a canal alongside the road at one point ( from the safety of the coach, I hasten to add). Apparently we were very fortunate as this was a rare occurrence as gators like to conserve their energy during the day and hunt at night. Anyway the whole Kennedy experience was fab. I loved being up close and personal to the spacecraft.
You can’t go to Orlando and not visit the Magic Kingdom, so that was our next day out. This was a complete contrast to Kennedy. The Disney Company has it sewn up here - they have managed to work out how to part you from every cent of your money in the nicest possible way. The child in me absolutely loved the rides and seeing all the characters and shows, everything is done and presented to perfection.
The pressure on people and families is phenomenal though- they seem to feel obliged to walk about together in the heat, queue for ages to get on a 5-10 minute ride or to get a 1 minute photo op with someone dressed up as a Disney character, all in the name of enjoyment. I saw a lot of people walking round doing all this “having a good time” but I don’t know how happy they were. I hardly heard anyone properly laughing out loud in the park. In fact, the only time that did happen was at the end of the evening, when everyone was queuing for the tram back to the car park, it was bucketing down and we were all getting soaking wet, as the infrastructure isn’t designed for that. What should have been a miserable experience turned into a camaraderie formed from laughing at the situation. Something to ponder on, I think.
Epcot was next. Again a Disney venue but I preferred this as it wasn’t so crowded and it’s good to see ideas about the possibilities of the future. I also enjoyed “visiting” the different countries that were set out round the lake. We had a fantastic meal in the Marrakesh restaurant in Morocco - Chicken kebabs and shrimp chermouleh. Delicious! The only fly in the ointment was England losing to Croatia in the World Cup semi-final π’
Our last visit was to Aquatica, courtesy of the lovely Ashawnie who gave us complimentary tickets. What a starπ
We had great fun splashing in the wave pool, even more fun in Roa’s Rapids and we even went down a flume on a double inflated ring together. We were a real couple of kids but it was a good laugh.
It was sad to return the car yesterday, a signal that our adventure is drawing near it’s close. The final tally of miles driven was 5122. Some distance!!!!
We left Orlando today and are now on the overnight train headed for New York. It seems like a chapter has closed, but there’s a little bit more to be added to the story yet.
We checked out of our hotel today and said goodbye to Ashawnie, the hotel and Orlando. We got a taxi to the station and the driver kept us entertained with stories of his family and his view of the current political state of affairs in the US. He is Puerto Rico born, and his wife is Swedish, so it doesn’t take a great stretch of the imagination to know what his views are on the current administration – not that he’s a great fan of the previous one either.
Orlando Station is not in the most glamorous part of town, it’s hidden somewhere in what seems like a sort of small industrial estate close to an interstate exit. The building itself is has a certain 1920s charm – it doesn’t look like too much has been done to it to change its character – but the facilities are pretty basic: toilets and a vending machine. It’s obvious that travel by rail is the poor relation in the States.
We were delighted to make such a long journey by train though; it meant seeing (sort of) a few more States and no driving was involved. We had booked a “Viewliner Roomette” (only Americans could come up with that term), which was an overnight private compartment. I think bijou is the best term to describe it. There was space enough for just our hand luggage, (we’d had to check in the big luggage at the station) and there were two easy chairs either side of the said “Viewliner” window, which was, in truth, a good size. The chairs converted to a bed at night (for Mike) and a bunk pulled down from the top for shorty me. All of this was taken care of by the coach attendant while we went for our meals. The food was part of the package, so we got lunch, dinner and breakfast, served in the Dining Car. I have to say the food was fine – a lot better balanced than some of what we’d seen served in our travels. The waiters were friendly and good at their job, and there were nice cloths on the tables. All in all, eating on the train was a good experience. Another bonus was that we got to talk to other passengers while having our meals and it was good to share travel stories.
What I haven’t mentioned yet are the, er, facilities. We understood that our roomette had its own facilities, but couldn’t quite work out what they were till we got on the train. Next to my seat in the compartment was a plain, pink, formica sort of seat, with the same material at the back. There were catches on these so I started investigating. The back came down to reveal a tiny washbasin, with running water, no less. I put this back up and noticed I could lift the seat next to me. It was, of course, the toilet. Hmm! (Or it could have been Hum!) Would this be allowed under Health and Safety rules at home, I wonder. I doubt it. Anyway, we both had a fit of the giggles over this, and agreed it was a good job (excuse the pun) we knew each other well. Actually, what happened was that when the train pulled into a really big station (there were a fair few along the way) it stopped for at least 10 minutes and everyone must have had the same idea, as there was a mass exodus from the train as people ran to use the station loos rather than those in the compartment.
We had a good time on the train all in all –yet another something to remember about out trip.
The Silver Meteor chugged into Penn Station about 2 hours late, but it didn’t faze us too much as we didn’t have far to go. In fact, our hotel was virtually diagonally opposite the station. It was a hot Saturday afternoon, and the streets were mobbed, but even so it still only took us 10 minutes to get to hotel reception with all our luggage in tow.
The New Yorker is a piece of Manhattan Art Deco history in itself, and like Manhattan, it’s probably seen days of greater glory. It’s still a nice place, got a good retro vibe going, but could do with a bit more investment to bring it bang up to the mark. In the basement there is an archive reflecting its famous past: how all the big bands used to play there, and music would be transmitted live on air; Rosa Parks and Coretta Scott King took tea together at a function there; Muhammad Ali stayed there after he lost to Joe Frazier at Madison Square Gardens in 1971; Nikola Tesla lived the last years of his life there; the list goes on… It’s nice to feel yourself so close to special times gone by.
The hotel rooms are not very big and the décor is a bit tired. But a massive advantage of the New Yorker is its position on the corner of 8th Avenue and 34th Street, just down from Macy’s and the Empire State Building. 8th Avenue isn’t to great, but it’s only a 7 block walk up to 42nd Street and on to Broadway and Times Square. This was Mike’s first visit to New York (when I say New York, I mean Manhattan), and I really wanted him to like it; but he was distinctly underwhelmed and I can easily understand why. We came prepared for people in too much of a hurry and the famous rudeness, but quite honestly there wasn’t really any of that. We just weren’t quite prepared for how generally rundown Manhattan looks just now. Dirt and scruffiness are generally part and parcel of a metropolis, that’s the way life is, but even the main showpieces here looked worse for wear. After checking into our room (of which more tomorrow) we went for a stroll up to Times Square. The closer we got the more crowded and less savoury it got. By the time we got to the Square it was a seething mass (of tourists, naturally) and it was hard to go to or see anything for being boxed in wherever we went. Nearly all the shops were chain-store branches but I suspect the prices were a rather higher than elsewhere. I’m only guessing, I may be wrong, because we didn’t try to find out. We felt so frazzled by this I thought I’d walk Mike along to Fifth Avenue for somewhere nicer to go, and then on down to Grand Central Station. That was a mistake: Fifth Avenue was equally dispiriting, looking shabby and disappointing. At least Grand Central didn’t let us down. Despite being in an unlovely street, the building itself maintains its grandeur and its interior elegance. Finally, Mike was impressed by something. We made our way back towards the New Yorker, past the Empire State Building, which we decided we would visit the day after next, and ate in the Maccy D’s opposite the hotel as we couldn’t be bothered to look for anywhere else. Not a great start to the last leg or our journey, but tomorrow is another day, as they say.
I mentioned in my earlier blog about out hotel room in the New Yorker. We paid for a room with a view as, due to the hotel’s position, the view is terrific from the east side. Well we checked in and got to our room on the twelfth floor, which is high enough, I suppose, but we had a view out towards the west, which is ok, but only ok, and we wanted stunning. I called reception and complained. They said it wouldn’t be possible as the hotel was full, it being a Saturday, but that they would move us to another room the next day for the rest of our stay. I wasn’t wildly happy about this but couldn’t do much else about it.
So in the morning we went out for the day (the concierge would take charge of the room transfer for us) and would find out where our new room was when we got back. Today was the day we decided to go on the Staten Island Ferry. First we had to negotiate the subway, so it was back into Penn Station and then try to find the correct line to take us to Lower Manhattan. Easier said than done. The Subway is not user friendly to my eyes; colours and line numbers are given, but not always direction or destination, which can be confusing. Maybe I’m more used to the London Underground, which seems a more straightforward system to me, even though it’s much larger. After a lot of unnecessary dithering and wandering here and there we finally made it to the right line and got to our first destination – the 9/11 Memorial. We wanted to pay our respects here, but preferred to just visit the two waterfall monuments rather than go into the museum. Both of us were struck by the stark simplicity and understated elegance of the Memorial. Both water features had carved into their rims the names of all those who died on that terrible day. Here and there the stem of a white rose was pressed into a name. I thought it might be a family tribute, but a caretaker told me that a rose was put by someone’s name on that person’s birthday. We found this touching and moving. One other thing: a Callery pear tree was found in the aftermath of the attack, charred but still showing signs of life. It was removed and nursed back to life, and replanted at the Memorial in 2010, where it blossoms every spring, “embodying a living symbol of resilience” (Survivor Tree Plaque).
Again, deeply moving.
From the Memorial we walked to the Staten Island ferry Terminal, where we queued then piled on to the ferry with many others. It’s hard to believe this is a free service. You get a wonderful view of both the Statue of Liberty and the New York Skyline, as well as a blast of sea air to freshen you up. We loved this little trip, but came straight back on the return ferry as we still had other places to visit.
Once back on dry land we headed up towards the Brooklyn Bridge. This meant walking through some of the older parts of Town, the original New York where it all started. This is all regenerated now, so there are brand new skyscrapers surrounding old school buildings that have been nicely restored. Mike was delighted to discover Stone Street – quaint but charming, and the street was alright too, lol.
From here we followed to river till we got to the Brooklyn Bridge, where we walked across about the first fifth of it, I estimate. It was busy, but I was glad to have walked on it. When I think of Brooklyn Bridge, I think of Saturday Night Fever.
We finally made it back to our hotel and our new room – on the 23rd floor and on the east side. Result! Great view, the evidence is below with both day and night shots from our window. Despite all else, that skyline really is something special. Hey, Big Apple, now we’re talking. Yay!
Today has been our last full day in New York and in the States. We decided to start with the big one down the street - if you say New York, you think Empire State Building, it's a must-do. So we walked down 34th Street and made our way inside. For the time of year it was busy, but not too busy, which was a bit of luck, and we didn't have to queue for too long. We paid the extra to go to the Upper Observation Deck; if you're going to be there might as well enjoy the whole experience. The queue for the lift from the Lower Deck was a bit long, so we were very brave and went up from the 86th floor to the 102nd floor via the stairs. Phew!!! As expected, the views were stunning, but it was difficult to take a decent photo as at that height it's all glassed in, for obvious reasons. On the Lower Observation Deck there's more room to walk about. This deck is not glassed in but there is high metal fencing instead (again for obvious reasons) so you can feel the wind blowing at that altitude and get a clearer view of the sights - through the fencing.
It was a good visit, again with the obligatory photo opp in front of a digital image (they have to keep their profits up). What struck me about the ESB though is that this is a beautiful piece of Art Deco architecture that is completely underused. It's fine to have tourists flocking in and out to get a view of the New York skyline, but surely this is not the sole or original purpose of this building. Currently there seems to be an empty echo throughout, which is rather sad. Manhattan itself needs a bit of regeneration, and putting the ESB to better use should be top of the agenda.
We walked back along 34th St and popped into Macy's, another must-do. It bills itself as "The Biggest Department Store in The World". I knew we wouldn't be spending too much time in there as Mike didn't look wildly happy as we walked through the door - can't think why. In fact, for a change, there wasn't much that I particularly wanted to buy, so he had an easy get-out there. I can't say that I was over-impressed by the window displays either. The windows themselves seem small by comparison to the department stores in London, and the actual displays can't hold a candle to the likes of Harrods or Selfridges.
In the afternoon we took a pleasant stroll up to Central Park. It's easy to see that this is a focal point for many who live in Manhattan, as it's a huge green space in the middle of the skyscrapers where people can enjoy some sort of fresh air and not feel so closed in. There were plenty of joggers and children running about on the slopes. We enjoyed watching some locals playing basketball in the games enclosures. For this big and often anonymous city, it all suddenly seemed more personal, which made it feel a nicer place.
For dinner in the evening we treated ourselves to a meal in the restaurant in the vaults below the hotel. I say vaults because that's exactly what they once were - bank vaults. The bank has now gone and the Butcher and Banker is in its place. I had duck, Mike had steak; massive portions, as per usual for the States. The food was pricey but delicious, and hey, it's our last night in the States, we should push the boat out. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.
Time to go! Hard to believe our trek is finally coming to an end.
We started our morning by having breakfast in the TickTock Diner at the hotel, and we finally got to witness the famous New York stroppiness. For some reason the waiter just never came to our table to take our order. All the waiters seemed to have allotted tables, but whoever was responsible for our table didn't come near. It was very busy, granted, but people were coming in after us and getting served before us. We stopped a waiter and asked why we hadn't been served, and he managed to get the person serving our table to come over. Naturally we had a little moan, and asked why we had had to wait so long. This was enough for the waiter to blow his top and shout at us that we hadn't been waiting too long, that it was really busy in there, that he hadn't been told we were there, that we should be more patient and that waiters are only human and we shouldn't complain. Basically it was everybody's fault except his, of course, and it was obvious that the one thing he did not need to do was apologise. We were not too happy ourselves with this outburst, but could see the funny side of it too. We we put in our order and when it came it was slapped down on the table; but it was well presented enoug on the plate and the food was fine. Of course we had to ask for the "check" then, and this time the approach from our man was different - he actually apologised and repeated that he had been rushed about and hadn't been told we were there. We said it was OK and we understood - but we still didn't leave him a tip,
We arranged for a taxi to JFK from the desk. $75. We were in a 15 seater but with just one other couple who paid the same fare. I don't know what the usual charge is for a taxi to the airport is but that seemed a bit steep.
No matter. We got to JFK in good time and once on the plane settled in for a comfy flight back across The Pond.
The flight home was great, we were lucky to be in Business Class and were really spoiled, it was a nice way to finish off our trip. We arrived at Heathrow, where it all started, and got the taxi home. It's been a wonderful adventure: we've been to so many places, seen so many sights, met so many people and had some amazing experiences ( OK, some not so amazing). I'll never forget how lucky we've been to be able to do such a trip, it's given us many memories to treasure.
Now we come to the end of this particular chapter. There will be another one, we're not sure when or where....but watch this space!